About 30 companies from across all states and territories have so far taken up the Australian Sign and Graphics Association’s free membership offer to all sign, graphics and print businesses. ASGA has also announced a Q&A webinar for members next week - presenters will include its business adviser and accountant.
In an effort to assist employers during the COVID-19 pandemic, ASGA this month launched the unprecedented free offer that’s available until 31 December 2020. For current members, 2020 membership will be extended from 30 June 2020 until 31 December 2020.
The offer means companies who are not current members can join and receive latest employer/employee information compiled by ASGA’s business adviser.
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'Eager to help': ASGA GM Michael Punch
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"I'm happy with the response so far but I'm hoping many more businesses will take advantage of this offer,” says ASGA GM Michael Punch. “We are eager to help all sign, graphics and print businesses coping with the many challenges being faced by industry employers and employees during this crisis.”
ASGA has also created advice bulletins for all members from its Legal/Business Advisor, regarding issues including Covid-19 restrictions, government wage subsidies and economic response packages.
"And we are setting up a webinar for all to join," Punch told Wide Format Online. "It will start at 11am AEST on THURS 30th APRIL. Presenters will be our business adviser and an accountant, both with national experience. It will be a Q and A session with a professional moderator."
There are now five ASGA Covid-19 advice bulletins:
Bulletin 1: Some key OHS obligations - answers to basic employee situation challenges, such as sending employees onto third party premises - action lines if an employee contracts the virus.
Bulletin 2: Further coverage as relevant issues arise in this dynamic situation: Q and A responses to STAND DOWN, REDUCTION IN ORDINARY HOURS , REDUCTION IN REMUNERATION with template letters provided.
Bulletin 3: Followed the Federal Government’s 9 April JobKeeper wage subsidy and the Economic Response Package. A summary of the key changes to the Fair Work Act 2009 which now allows ASGA members greater FLEXIBILITY in directions they are entitled to give to employees. The BULLETIN is titled GUIDELINES FOR JOBKEEPER – QUALIFYING – EMPLOYERS IN MANAGING EMPLOYEES. It offers many answers to employers - minimum payment guarantee, reduction or change in the days or hours. All ASGA members received this latest Bulletin last week.
Bulletin 4: JOBKEEPER & SUPERANNUATION
Bulletin 5: Do ASGA members have to offer the JobKeeper subsidy to all eligible employees? Or can they pick and choose? The ATO clarified as of today - it is the ‘one in – all in’ principle!
This is the latest direction from the ATO (as of Monday 20 April 2020): The JobKeeper payment is open to eligible employers, sole traders and other entities to enable them to pay their eligible employee’s salary or wages of at least $1,500 (before tax) per fortnight. You can enrol for the JobKeeper payment through the ATO's Business Portal, in ATO online services using myGov if you are a sole trader, or through a registered tax or BAS agent. Eligible employers will be reimbursed a fixed amount of $1,500 per fortnight for each eligible employee.
Employers need to pay all eligible employees a minimum of $1,500 (before tax) per fortnight to claim the JobKeeper payment. This will be paid to the employer in arrears each month by us. The first payments to eligible employers will commence in the first week of May 2020. JobKeeper payments can be made for the period beginning 30 March 2020.
If employers do not continue to pay their employees for each pay period, they will cease to qualify for the JobKeeper payment. Of course, if you terminate an employee’s employment, that would bring the JobKeeper entitlement to the end.
Punch is pleased with the response so far to the free membership offer but is hoping for more. “There have been many applications to take up the offer and they come from across all states and territories, but I thought there might have been more over these past three weeks, given the business information that we’re offering. It has been publicised widely, thanks to Wide Format Online and other industry sources.”
All enquiries to the ASGA GM at michael_punch@signs.org.au
For more information, click on this link.
